I need some daytona measurements , Please

[Daytona Guy]

Hemigeno - Priceless, absolutely priceless! You are the man. I do understand your fetal postion. Been there.

[Daytona Guy]

This last one is where I shoved the light and the camera up above the old driprail to get a shot of the reinforcement at the bottom edge of the Daytona Back Glass channel.   This is the Right (Passenger's) side corner.   You can see the curvature of the glass channel, and you can see the red paint left on the sail panel, plus the bend/edge of the plug where it fits against the sail panel.

Now that makes sense. Just having a steel plug made with out those reinforcements will not cut it. You lean on it or but pressure on it and something will have to give with out those. Look at that under the back glass, wow, that reinforcement goes all the way down to the old Charger   (above the old trunk). Boy, describing stuff is so difficult.

You can see the curvature of the bottom back glass - That is what boggles my mind about how amazing it was to find that the Vega worked so well. To many things just worked out.

[hotrod98]

One tends to forget that back then they were doing basically the same thing that we're attempting to do today, that is the conversion of an existing body style.
If the correct back glass and moldings were available, I think that I have enough info now to make the transformation with the Dayclona panel.
I've always wondered what would be so difficult about manufacturing a correct back glass. I don't think the molds are that expensive to build.
And, someone at Dayclona told me that either they or someone else was working on making the exterior moldings.

[Daytona Guy]

The molding are really not that bad. If you use their plug, just get a complete charger get and an extra piece and have them welded on. A good stainless steel guy can make it perfect. My concern is the glass. I would never want to pay that much money for a back plug and end up with a piece of plastic for my back window. They scratch and can sag.

[hemigeno]

The back glass is available - even date coded correctly if you want.   Now, I'm talking about a glass piece capable of fitting the original Daytona plug - I have no idea how close a Vega hatch piece comes to the original profile though.

If anyone needs, I can look up the contact info.   I hadn't heard about the window trim being repopped yet, but it makes sense that someone will have to do that sooner or later, or figure out how to modify some old stuff to fit.

How have you guys been handling the front wheel lip moulding?   All Daytonas had F/R wheel lip mouldings - if you see a real one without it, they've lost their originals.   A friend of mine and I are considering whether a regular Charger piece can be straightened to fit the profile with the valance.   Straightening it out WITHOUT making a cut in the leg, that is...

Glad you guys could make some use of the pics - I'd have hated to play contortionist if it weren't so...

[hotrod98]

I was told of a back glass that's available, but it's laminated like a windshield and can break very easily.
The guys at Dayclona said that no one makes a tempered back glass at this time. Just what I've been told.

[hemigeno]

I don't think that because it is laminated that it is therefore more fragile.  Heck, I wouldn't exactly call a windshield easy to break.  If anything, it's safer glass to use since if it does break it won't shatter - it will stay together (the whole purpose of using laminated glass).  Is it a safety thing, where the glass Co's. won't make tempered auto glass anymore?  I honestly don't know - but it could be that.  If it could be reproduced, Roger Gibson & Frank Badalson would have it.

Here's the link from Roger Gibson's website that mentions the glass:

http://www.rogergibsonautorestoration.com/availability.htm

[hotrod98]

Your door glass is much harder to break than your windshield. If you get a rock chip in your door glass or back glass it's just a chip. If you get a rock chip in your windshield, it will crack.
If you bump a windshield against a metal edge it will break, if you bump a door glass or back glass against a metal edge it might make a small chip. Being a body shop manager, I deal with it every day.

I don't have a clue about Gibson's glass. It may be tempered since they're selling door glass as well.

[Daytona Guy]

I have been under the impression that this piece is not "Glass" but plastic. If it is glass, I do not see a problem with it at all. By the time you get that back window you will be out 1000.00 bucks with shipping I bet.

[wetfeetmi]

Vega hatch is going in my car this time...Here is a pic of the chunk of trunk cut from my last clone.

[Daytona R/T SE]

I have been under the impression that this piece is not "Glass" but plastic. If it is glass, I do not see a problem with it at all. By the time you get that back window you will be out 1000.00 bucks with shipping I bet.

I'm not sure how old this info is, but here goes:

Daytona rear glass $700
  OEM Glass
Bloomington, Illinois

1-800-283-2122
I also have these numbers for OEM:

309-662-2122
309-663-7474
Not sure which #s are current

I also have info on another source:
Iowa Glass 1-800-553-8134,ask for Rick.
Price $650 plus shipping, or have your local body or glass shop order for you and save the shipping.

OEM owns the molds for these windows, they also offer Superbird rear windows. I'll be buying one of these for my car

[hotrod98]

Wetfeetmi,
Keep us posted on your progress. Sounds like it will be your second go-round on a Daytona project. Would love to hear more.

Daytona R/T SE,
Thanks for the info. Still undecided on direction to go. I have the vega plug and it's tempting to use it because of the cost. The $ could go for a couple of the other parts in steel. You may have read that my clone will be an R/T SE version since it's already an R/T SE car. I have the car up in storage. I go up and start it every couple of weeks. Not enough room in my shop for it yet. One of my painters decide that he wanted to get the car out of storage and do some body work and paint it back black. Told him that he could drive it and show it if he did. I guess he lost interest and left it in primer for me. It was safer with the old black paint on it. I'll get some pics in a few days and post them. It looks a little sad right now.

[Daytona Guy]

I have been under the impression that this piece is not "Glass" but plastic. If it is glass, I do not see a problem with it at all. By the time you get that back window you will be out 1000.00 bucks with shipping I bet.

I'm not sure how old this info is, but here goes:

Daytona rear glass $700
  OEM Glass
Bloomington, Illinois

1-800-283-2122
I also have these numbers for OEM:

309-662-2122
309-663-7474
Not sure which #s are current

I also have info on another source:
Iowa Glass 1-800-553-8134,ask for Rick.
Price $650 plus shipping, or have your local body or glass shop order for you and save the shipping.

OEM owns the molds for these windows, they also offer Superbird rear windows. I'll be buying one of these for my car

That is great. I did not know that. So glass : 700.00 + shipping, Steel Plug 2400.00 + shipping, Deck lid alt: 500.00.  Rear trim welded and fitted 200.00 . If money is not an issue, then go this rout. It will be virtually undetectable. If you can swallow the cost. For me spending 4000.00 extra dollars on the rear window is not my bag. Plus I keep coming back to the fact that it is a clone. Here is another thing that I have noticed. People tend to lose interest when the bucks start to add up. For example - I know of not one Daytona clone that has gone the expensive rout (using all steel) and is finished. Not one. If there are those finished,  I would love to see them, honestly. I think they would be an absolute awesome piece work.

Maybe in 10 years and I have that much money to play with I could go that rout, just not right now. My hat is of for those that can. Good luck.

[hotrod98]

When you add it up like that it does seem a little insane doesn't it?  Especially since I found a perfect plug for $60.00. No scratches on glass or trim. Just keep me on track, Dane. I get a little blinded sometimes. lol   Besides, I already spent my money on a new motor.

[Daytona Guy]

Now that is money well spent. Now there is a steel part that we all can agree on. That is what I am going to work toward for my Yellow one.

Way to go man.

[Daytona R/T SE]

So, who has the best price on the newly retooled Crate Hemi ?  I've seen prices in the magazines from just under 12K all the way up to 15K  That's a chunk of change for sure, but I haven't ruled this out yet 

[hotrod98]

I ordered mine from Summit last September. They had them listed for $11,999. They promised that the price wouldn't change. When they were told that their cost was going up by MP, they cancelled all existing orders. When I complained that I had been promised no price increase they let me have the second one that they receved in Feb. for their cost of $12,300. Shipping was around $200 or maybe less. One of the valve covers was dented so they orderd a new set. I asked them if I could pay the difference and get the correct black ones for my 70 and they agreed. The motor now has the correct black valve covers. The difference was $200. This motor is actually for my 70 chal convert, but I may pull it later on and replace it with my six pack motor and use the hemi in the Daytona clone.

[Daytona R/T SE]

Wetfeetmi,
Keep us posted on your progress. Sounds like it will be your second go-round on a Daytona project. Would love to hear more.

Daytona R/T SE,
Thanks for the info. Still undecided on direction to go. I have the vega plug and it's tempting to use it because of the cost. The $ could go for a couple of the other parts in steel. You may have read that my clone will be an R/T SE version since it's already an R/T SE car.

You're welcome, Hotrod .   In case you haven't guessed by now, I'm building my Daytona clone on an original 69 RT/SE too.   The "Number Nazis" are going to hate us both   

[Daytona R/T SE]

I ordered mine from Summit last September. They had them listed for $11,999. They promised that the price wouldn't change. When they were told that their cost was going up by MP, they cancelled all existing orders. When I complained that I had been promised no price increase they let me have the second one that they receved in Feb. for their cost of $12,300. Shipping was around $200 or maybe less. One of the valve covers was dented so they orderd a new set. I asked them if I could pay the difference and get the correct black ones for my 70 and they agreed. The motor now has the correct black valve covers. The difference was $200. This motor is actually for my 70 chal convert, but I may pull it later on and replace it with my six pack motor and use the hemi in the Daytona clone.

If I could get one of the new ones for around 12K I'd probably do it, I'll probably have close to half that in my old 440 by the time I get it the way I want it, anyway.   I'll have to see how the piggy bank looks after I get the Daytona conversion done and get it painted-this ain't going to be cheap  

[Daytona Guy]

Hey Man, It's your car. Live it up.

[hotrod98]

I think I have nearly $5000 in my six pack motor and that was with me finding a brand new set of nos carbs for $400 that a Phord guy had sitting around and a new six pack alum intake and original air cleaner for $300 that another guy had sitting around. I have over $1000 in the heads alone.
The hemi was ordered for my cuda originally, but after a lot of thought I realized that it would be better to install it in my chal convert since it's a non a/c car anyway. I didn't want to disassemble my 71 cuda and with the 340 4-speed it gets 17 mpg.  It's an a/c car, but I had to remove the compressor when I put the shaker hood on.
My wife beats me in the mpg department though with her 73 cuda with the 5.9 liter o/d tranny setup.

[wetfeetmi]

Anybody need a plug? I will use one of these and get rid of the rest.

[hotrod98]

You probably should keep one for replacement glass and trim. The salvage yard that I bought mine from had 6 or 7 but they all had deep scratches in the back glass from people scraping ice with kitchen utensils. We don't get much ice and snow here so a lot of people don't own an ice scraper. The sheet metal was rust free though.

[wetfeetmi]

My first clone was a '70 R/T 440 4 speed car, and I caught a little crap from purists. It is yours to do with what you please. I would like to see 1,000 clones driving all around my home town!

[BigBlockSam]

hey wetfeet i would take one of those hatches.. just take it to greyhood put it under a bus and i'll get it out here. i'm serious. my clone is a real se. i got the bottom end of the 440 at a machine shop. the 906   heads are at a friends shop being polshed, ,oversized valves, roller rockers. the works mans. i want about 450hp. i got the whole sixpack setup when i bought my 68r/t came with the car.   i don't want to go anymore than that because of the air restriction of the daytona nose.